Warmth
by MaroonAngel of Darkness
Summary: It was always there whenever she woke up in the morning, the tempting warmth that always seemed to weakly tug her back to bed and have her sleep the day away. Maybe, she could give in a little.


Kairi woke early that morning, reluctantly roused by her own body's internal clock. Instinctively she knew it was roughly six in the morning; school would be in an hour; so like any good, top a student she woke up early so she could get ready for school and see the sunrise on the way there. That was probably it. It was her only reason for waking up early after all. Even on weekends, she woke up early just to go down to the beach and watch the dawn on the water; then maybe she would dose a bit on the warm sand till the cool water reached up and tickled her bare ankle.

She loved spending the mornings like that, on the beach, relaxing and forgetting all her worries; she'd even forget Sora half the time. Because at that time, in her half asleep state merely watching the beauty of morning with the ocean below, Kairi allowed herself to care about nothing on those mornings.

But, like every morning, she found it difficult to get out of bed.

Warmth blanketed over her form every morning, weakly chaining her down and tempting her to stay eternally under those blankets and not go into the crisp cold air in her room and outside. This morning is no different. She had reluctantly roused herself, internally reminding her body that it was time to get up, go down to the beach, and watch the dawn. But the warmth surrounding her held her firmly, mutely whispering lullabies into her ears as it struggled to pull her back to sleep.

It was always hard to fight off that tugging embrace, seemingly begging her to stay, relishing her own warmth as much as she did with it. She even felt it tighten around her slightly, pulling her frame even deeper, basking her in a drowsy heat, threatening to whisk her away to dreamland again.

She sighed tiredly, snuggling into her pillow as she gave in, feeling the warmth spread over, securing her in bed.

So she was wrong then, this wasn't like each and every morning; it's warmer than what it usually is, its even more determined to keep her in bed and steal her away into the open darkness of her conscious, ready to be filled with dreams.

Maybe she could skip the sunrise this morning. It wasn't like it was something she's never seen before after all. Watching the dawn was simply for the enjoyment of beauty, and relaxing on the beach, to the point she was merely dosing. She was going to fall asleep either way, might as spend this morning in bed, wouldn't hurt after. Missing one sunrise when she's seen them her whole life. What's the worst that could happe—

A purring sigh tickled over her ears as warm breath slid over the back of her neck.

Kairi went stiff, completely awake now, her eyes flying open.

First thing she realized that this was not her room. The room she was in was aged, but well cared for. Faded green walls, a window across from her, corn yellow shades pulled close, making the room even darker. The bed she was on was just as aged, but a comfortable aged, like the old couch her adoptive father has.

There was a shift behind, and Kairi found herself again pulled into a deeper, warmer embrace of another body, by far much larger than her own. Another sigh from the occupant behind was the only alert Kairi had before she felt a face bury into her hair, a nose brushing the back of her head.

She was in a strange room, in bed with another person. At a time like this, she would usually wonder what did Selphie serve at that party?

Only, she knew right away that she wasn't at Selphie's party. She wasn't even anywhere close to home.

She had been kidnapped after all, spirited away by the flame haired nobody, Axel.

The only thing she really had to wonder, why were they sharing the same bed?

The idea itself almost made her squeak and squirm in discomfort, especially since the only bed she's shared with were Riku and Sora, and even they had to stop sharing the bed by their parents insistence; she grimaced as she thought that a squeak and squirm might have woken Axel, and as of right now, Kairi wasn't sure if she wanted to wake Axel up or not. Delicately, she shifted in his hold, glaring at him over her shoulder, blinking when his breath ghosted over her cheek.

"Axel?" she whispered, leaning away from his face and weakly struggling out of his hold. The answer she got was for him to lean forward, his forehead pressing against her shoulder and another content sigh. Turning away with a huff, Kairi glared out frowning as she thought out her situation.

She could wake Axel, though there was really no telling what he would do, probably tease her and go back to sleep; it looks like he isn't much of a morning person; no telling if he would release her or not though. If he slept, she could try to escape, hopefully, he wasn't a light sleeper.

That's what she'll do then. She try and escape, if she couldn't get out, she'd try and wake him and use the bathroom excuse. Hopefully, he would be too tired and she could hightail it out of here.

Slowly, she shifted about, taking his warmth wrist into her hands and delicately moving them away from her body where they were coiled around her. She stiffened when he moved. He pulled his arms free and rolled onto his side, his back facing her.

Not believing her luck, Kairi stared at his back, his wild flame mane, now a giant tangled mess. "Axel?" she asked softly. He answered her with a grumble, shifting and burying himself into their bed.

He was out for the count it seemed.

She wasn't going to get a better chance that this!

Slowly, she stood up and stepped away from the bed, pausing every now and then just to make sure the nobody was still asleep. She didn't speed up she was out of the room. Grinning, she quietly speed walked down the hall and out of the hotel Axel dragged her too.

And out into the cold.

Kairi automatically grimaced at the cold. Destiny Island didn't really get such weather, so snow was a shock to her system. Already, five seconds outside, and she found herself wishing to be back in Axel's arms, for warmth of course.

But going back to that warmth would mean getting stuck with the hotheaded nobody, and then being taken to the castle and used as bait for Sora.

Never would she allow such a thing.

Bracing herself as well as she could, she boldly stepped out into the cold, ignoring how it ruthless bit and tore at her skin, raking her body in hard shivers. Wrapping her arms around her securely, she moved on, she had to get away from him, then she'd find warmth and help elsewhere. She had too.

* * *

She didn't know what warmth was, nor did she even know what being cold was.

She was pretty sure she was going numb. It had to be the only explanation, she was dying from the cold. Even the thick blanket she had swiped did little against the white around her. She found herself surrounded in white, her body heavy, too heavy to even keep her eyes open. She wasn't even sure if she would have cared if Axel finds, that is, if he finds her.

Did she even want to be found?

She was getting to a point that she really wasn't' caring anymore. As of now, all she wanted to do was sleep really. It would be a peaceful way to go after all. Her only regret would be not saying goodbye to Sora or Riku, or at least, just not seeing them. Maybe she would sprout wings though, maybe she could watch over them as an angel.

Either way, whether they knew it or not, they would be together, for sure.

he was just sad that it had to be this way.

Sighing to herself, she let her body collapse even deeper into the tangled blanket around her, curled up and uselessly shivering against the damp blanket, her skin numb to all sort of touch. Her eyes lead heavy, she allowed them to fall close, sealing them shut as her shaky breath grew quieter and weaker.

At least it was peaceful.

Till a searing, painful heat flared up through her body. Re-energized with the pain and the heat, her eyes flashed open as she jerked up, finding that the blanket had been stripped away and the towering form of Axel over her, worry on his face, quickly replaced with annoyed relief.

"Don't pull this again princess," she heard him say, his voice muffled to her ears. Shaking and whimpering, she felt her eyes closing again, just as he reached for her.

She fell asleep in the cold again, with fire hot hand coiling around her.

* * *

Like every morning, she found herself roused to the set time of her internal clock, only this time, she was even more reluctant to wake. Her eyes felt glued closed, and her body to heavy for her to even move. Every touch of heat around her seared in a painful tingle, but left the promise warmth behind, soaking up the cold that had chilled her to the bones. With her eyes to heavy, and her sense of touch tingle with rapture, she blindly let her body tell her where she was.

It felt like there was fire around her curled body, seeping into her skin, chasing away the ice that bit her bones and replacing it with the same comfortable heat she woke to this morning. Sighing shakily, she pressed herself into the warmth, relishing it as the cold was burned away. She felt the warmth shift, bringing her closer and holding her tightly; large hot hands rubbing up and down her bare arm, with hot breath steaming over her face.

Forcing her eyes open as well as she could, she saw broad, bare chest, larger and more mature than any of her boys; nicked and marked with faded scars. Out of the corner of her slanted eyes, she saw black wrapped around her, along with a bare arm and a hand resting on her arm. Instantly, Kairi knew instinctively who this warmth was.

She was with Axel again.

Allowing her eyes to fall close, she pressed her cold face against his chest, ignoring how he hissed and grumbled inaudibly at the cold. Caressing warmth lovingly danced over her cold face, softening her features and calming her. Already, she could feel the warmth tugging her back into the open darkness, waiting to be filled with dreams, or simply a black world she'll phase through.

Before she was too far gone, she moved one of her stiff hands, pressing on his chest, over where his heart should be. She felt him to stiff around her, but he didn't move to stop or even lean away from her touch. Even through her slightly numb hand, she didn't feel the heartbeat that she should have felt. It was empty and mute under her hand. Singing, her own cool breath washing over his bare chest as her face pressed against him, relishing the warmth, she mumbled a soft, "Thank you," with her lips brushing against his skin unconsciously.

For a second it seemed, she thought she felt a timid and rigid bump under her hand. But nothing more. If there was more, she didn't feel or hear it as sleep's gentle hands tugged her down into a welcomed black oblivion.

Even in sleep, the warmth never left her.


End file.
